chore

[chawr, chohr]

noun

1. a small or odd job; routine task.

   Synonyms: stint, errand, work, duty

2. chores, the everyday work around a house or farm.

3. a hard or unpleasant task.

   Solving the problem was quite a chore.

chore

¹

/ tʃɔː /

noun

1. a small routine task, esp a domestic one

2. an unpleasant task

-chore

²

combining form

1. (in botany) indicating a plant distributed by a certain means

   anemochore

Other Word Forms

• -chorous combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of chore¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English char, Old English cyrr, variant of cierr, cerr. See char ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of chore¹

C19: variant of Middle English chare; related to _char ³

Origin of chore²

from Greek khōrein to move

Synonym Study

See task.

Example Sentences

Kigali, the eponymous climb of Rwanda’s capital city, punctuated by a cobblestoned sector—Kwa Mutwe—so steep it was a chore to walk, never mind pedal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All this sequel had to be was a Nine Inch Nails-scored mood, but pre-chewed ideas about sentience and AI, coupled with a nonsensical plot, turn it into a chore.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

All these chores, errands and responsibilities are simple to schedule on paper, but in practice, unforeseen circumstances ensure that chaos reigns.

Read more on Salon

Digging through the laundry for a jersey, once a dreaded weekend morning chore, gave me a comforting jolt of familiarity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Schedule recurring tasks so they happen automatically - for example, block out lunch in your diary each day or set weekly reminders for bills and chores.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• assignment 
• burden 
• duty 
• errand 
• housework 
• routine 
• workout